The present invention relates generally to the field of matrix barcoding and more particularly to quick response code branding.
A quick response code is a two-dimensional barcode consisting of black and white modules arranged in either a square or rectangular matrix. The information to be encoded can be text or numeric data. The length of the encoded data depends on the number of cells in the matrix. Quick response code symbols are usually square in shape and composed of square cells which represent bits. Depending on the coding used, a “light” cell represents a 0 and a “dark” cell is a 1, or vice versa. Conventional quick response codes are composed of two solid adjacent borders in an “L” shape called the finder pattern and two borders opposite the adjacent borders consisting of alternating dark and light cells or modules called the timing pattern. Within these borders are rows and columns of cells encoding information. The finder pattern is used to locate and orient the symbol while the timing pattern provides a count of the number of rows and columns in the symbol. As more data is encoded in the symbol, the number of cells in rows and columns increases. The resulting symbol is unique.
Quick response codes storing addresses may appear in or on almost any object about which users might want information. Users with a device equipped with a camera or scanner equipped with a reader application can scan the image of the quick response code to execute program instructions to reveal information, such as a display text, contact information, connection to a wireless network, or a web page. This act of linking from physical world objects is referred to as hard linking or object hyperlinking. Quick response codes also may link to a location to track the geolocation of the scanned code.